Of all the schoolday desserts, this is the one that’s heralded by many as the cream of the crop. It might have challenged our gnashers, or flown off the table when we tried to crack into it with a spoon, but we flipping loved this pud back in the day.
The gnarly, bumpy, moon-like craters of the surface, with a liberal dusting of sugar. The crumbly, crunchy texture. The way it felt a bit grown-up because it was deeply dark with chocolate.
Custard, of course, was a must. Were you camp pink, chocolate or both?
If your kids or grandkids don’t have the luxury of enjoying a bowl of crunch on the regular at their school, now’s the time to initiate their taste buds, taking them with you on a retro trip down memory lane.
Ingredients (makes several)
- 100g melted unsalted butter
- 200g plain flour
- 200g granulated sugar – plus extra to finish
- 50g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Milk (to bind)
To serve:
- Prepared custard
- Pink food colouring
Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C and line a 20cm x 30cm roasting tin or baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and press it together. It should be sandy but a little moist. Add a touch (just a couple of tablespoons) of milk if needed to bring it together. It shouldn’t be sticky.
3. Press the mixture firmly into your tray in an even layer of around 1cm thick. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, sprinkling generously with sugar as it comes out of the oven.
4. Allow to cool in the tin, then cut into pieces.
5. Serve with custard, brightened with a few drops of pink food colouring.
